The Huskies traded goals at Sutherlin in girls soccer during the first couple of minutes then settled into a stalemate until the second half when they broke away and secured a 4-1 win on Oct. 14.
“They just scored right away,” said Coach Ramiro Santana. Sutherlin had its goal on the scoreboard in the minute two. “We came back within another minute and scored,” with Ashley Wickline putting the ball in the net.
“I was not happy with them,” Santana said. “It was sloppy. It was just not us.”
The Huskies weren’t taking enough time, passing the ball and maintaining control of the ball, he said. Both teams were just kicking it back and forth, he said. At halftime, things changed.
“The second half, it was just like it turned around, a totally different team,” Santana said. “It was totally different. The girls were passing, talking the way they should.”
Ashley Wickline scored two more goals, and Milah Weld contributed one.
The two teams match up closely in terms of experience, Santana said. Both are young. Sutherlin is bigger and stronger, but the Huskies are quicker. He thinks that gave the Huskies the edge they needed to win.
The Huskies lost 6-3 at home to Cottage Grove on Thursday.
The game was back and forth to start, Santana said, noting that Cottage Grove is a physical team, drawing a red card or two and a couple of yellow cards that day.
The Huskies scratched out a 2-1 lead in the first half, with Wickline and Weld scoring.
The Huskies made some little mistakes that cost them in the second half, Santana said. Cottage Grove was able to score some easy goals it shouldn’t have had. Wickline scored a second goal, while the Lions added five.
Goalie Hailey Nicholson is a freshman though, Santana said. “As a freshman goalie, it’s part of learning.”
The girls are playing well, Santana said. They have the abilities they need to win. They just need to start pulling it all together.
“We have it, no doubt about it,” Santana said. “It’s experience is what’s killing us.”
The girls don’t give up, Santana said, whether they’re facing Sutherlin or Cottage Grove.
“Whether we’re behind or ahead, they just keep going,” Santana said. “That’s actually one of the reasons we won at Sutherlin.”
Cottage Grove defeated the junior varsity 5-0. Sutherlin did not field a junior varsity team.